Nvidia rolls out Tegra processors for mobile Internet devices

Nvidia has jumped into the market for mobile Internet devices today with the introduction of a processor family based on the ARM11 processor core. The line is called Tegra and comprises the 800MHz Tegra 650 and 700MHz Tegra 600, in addition to the previously announced APX 2500 – though the former two will be Nvidia’s focus as it tries to penetrate the MID space.

Both chips in the 600 series stand out when compared to the APX 2500 because of their higher speeds, support for higher display resolutions, and IDE connectivity support. The Tegra 600 provides resolutions of up to 1280 x 1024 and can render up to 720p video, while the Tegra 650 renders up to resolutions of 1680 x 1050 and can provide full 1080p playback. But perhaps more impresive is the fact that these chips will reportedly provide a whopping battery life of over 25 hours when playing video, compared to about four hours for Atom.

Nvidia’s marketing Tegra as an Atom-beater and it sure looks impressive on paper. It’s important to note, though, that the Tegra line is limited to just mobile devices for now as its core isn’t x86-compatible. Atom, in the other hand, can be found in mobile devices as well as in in laptops and even low-cost desktops. Prices and release dates for the new Tegra chips haven't yet been announced, though Nvidia claims we'll be seeing Tegra-based devices from various partners later this year.